Autumn 2011 - RMT

Autumn 2011 -

news Anti-pedicab special edition Autumn2011 Bob says NO RMT calls for unity against London’s pedicab menace RMT stands entirely opposed to the scourge of 'pedicabs' - and a recent outburst in Taxi (issue 248) did nothing to help the trade understand how best to fight the attack on it Rather than attack RMT general secretary Bob Crow and misrepresenting the union's position on pedicabs, Taxi should applaud the tactics used by the union in preventing, so far, the legalisation of pedicabs in London. In the wake of Taxi's sensationalist reporting it is only right that trade should understand what is really happening. The London Local Authorities and Transport for London Bill is an attempt to allow councils to implement sanctions against pedicab owners (where these can be identified), by way of penalty-charge notices. This might seem reasonable but it would legitimise pedicabs when Londontaxi Pedicabs block bus and taxi lanes the trade as a whole would rather see them banned altogether - and it is only through blocking the legitimisation of pedicabs that we can work to eliminate them from our streets. Legitimising pedicabs through clause 17 of the Bill would open the door for TfL to return to parliament to seek a statutory instrument to introduce an undefined form of licensing and control - allowing TfL to sneak through a licensing regime. The action taken by the convenor of the RMT parliamentary group, John McDonnell MP, halted the progress of the Bill - putting pressure on the Bill's sponsors to consider removing the offending clause and allowing the Bill to become law without the bit on pedicabs. John McDonnell has made clear that, on behalf of all taxi drivers, he will keep objecting to the Bill and keep knocking it back until Transport for London and Westminster City Council sit down and negotiate to address the concerns of London's taxi drivers. RMT has also lodged a formal parliamentary petition against the Bill and appointed solicitors to take it forward. RMT online -- www.rmt.org.uk STOP PRESS Cynical attempt to sneak in pedicab licensing While the taxi trade is contesting Clause 17 of the London Local Authorities and TfL Bill, Baroness Gardner of Parkes is cynically trying to use another avenue - the Localism Bill - to impose pedicab licensing. Her amendment to Clause 30 would allow a local authority to make byelaws establishing a pedicab licensing scheme with provision for establishing ranks, roadworthiness and other issues. Baroness Gardner has long been an advocate for pedicabs and attempted to introduce licencing through the Road Safety Bill 2005. This amendment will be vigorously opposed by RMT. Whatever the route, pedicabs are totally unsafe for the carrying of passengers and cannot be allowed to act as if they were hackney carriages.